Cinch-grip.



E. A. GRUSHUS. CIN CH GRIP. APPLICATION man DEC- 31, I915.

1,216,228; Y Patented Feb.13,1917.

nnwin A. enusnus, or Mines, NEVADA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

Application filed December 31, 1915. Serial No. 69,605.

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN A. Gnusi-rus, a citizen of the United States,residing at Midas, in the county of Elko and State of. Nevada, haveinvented certain new and use ful Improvements-in Cinch-Grips, of whichguished from the patented grip, which features result in the attainmentof certain advantages not present in the said patented structure.

It is one aim of the invention to so construct the grip that the tiestrap of the sad dle girth may be permanently connected at one end withthe grip, thereby avoiding a bulge at the point of engagement of thesaid tiestrap with the saddle ring and incidentally the invention aimsto so construct the grip that theconnection of the end of the tie straptherewith will not interfere with the closing together of the memberscomprising the grip and with the clamping action exerted by thesemembers upon the said strap.

Another aim of the invention is to so construct the members comprisingthe grip that strain imposed upon the strap will result in the membersbeing automatically brought together and held in such manner as to exerta maximum clamping force upon the strap.

The invention aims further to so construct the upper one of the clampingaws of the grip that the strap may ride freely thereover when a pull isexerted upon the strap for the purpose of tightening the girth.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the gripapplied.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the grip spread open.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the grip.

In the drawings the grip is illustrated as comprising hingedly connectedmembers and one of these members includes side bars indicated by thenumeral 1 connected at their lower ends by a cross'piece 2 which isformed into a hook 3 designed for engagement with the girth strap ringindicated by the numeral 4:. The side bars 1 at their upper ends areconnected by a tubular cylindrical cross bar 5 and below the said crossbar the said slde bars are connected by a cross bar 6 upon which isrotatably fitted a roller 7.

The other member of the grip comprises side bars 8 which are connectedat their lower ends by a downwardly curved cross bar 9 and at theirupper ends by a cross bar 10 which is circular in cross section andwhich rotatably fits within the tubular cross bar 5, the sections beingthus hingedly connected to each other at their upper ends. The side bars8 are further connected by a cross bar 11 which extends between the sidebars below the cross bar 10 and upon which is rotatably fitted a roller12. By reference to the drawings it will be observed that the upper endsof the side bars 8 or more specifically their portions which extendabove the cross bar 11, are curved in the direction of the firstdescribed .member of the grip and that the side bars 1 of the said firstdescribed member are straight from end to end. It will also be observed,and particularly by reference to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, that thecross bar 11 is located in a plane above the cross bar 6 and the objectin view in so relatively locating the cross bars 6 and 11 will bepresently pointed out.

In order that the tie strap which is connected to the grip may begripped by the grip in adjusted position, the first described member ofthe grip is provided with a gripping aw indicated by the numeral 13.This jaw extends between the side bars 1 of the said member and iscurved upwardly and laterally from the plane occupied by the said sidebars and is provided with a smooth convex under surface indicated by thenumeral 14;. This jaw is located between the cross bar 6 and theconnecting portion 2 and, as will be observed, extends in the directionof the second mentioned gripping member of the grip. The said secondgripping member of the grip is provided with a similar j aw indicated at15, which jaw extends between the side bars 8 and is curved upwardly andlaterally in the direction of the first described member of the grip, itbeing noted, however, that it will be located below thejaw 13 when themembers comprising the grip are closed. The upper surface of the jaw 15is concave as will be observed by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings,and is formed with transversely extending serrations indicated by thenumeral 16. The serrated concave face of the jaw 15, of course, opposesthe smooth convex under surface of the jaw 13 and it is between thesefaces that the tie strap is to be gripped as will now be explained.

The tie strap is indicated in general by the reference numeral 17 and ispermanently connected at one end as at 18 by being looped about thetubular cross bar 5. From this cross bar the tie strap is led upwardlyand through the saddle ring 19 and thence downwardly as shown in Fig. 1and beneath the roller 7 and thence upwardly in front of the roller 12,after which it is again passed through the saddle ring 19 and is leddownwardly and finally passed between the jaws 13 and 15. When it isdesired to tighten the strap a pull is exerted upon its end whichextends beyond the jaws 13 and 15. Upon the exertion of such strain thesecond described member of the buckle will be swung slightly away fromthe first described member as the strap runs over the serrated face ofthe jaw 15 and inasmuch as the convex under face of the jaw 13 issmooth, the strap will run freely thereover. The pull upon the strapwill, of course, cause the same tobe tightened,which will then bearheavily on the roller 12 which in turn will bear on the bar 11, thuscausing the second described member to be drawn in the direction of thefirst described member, and thus causing the jaw 15 to en'- gage withthe strap. It will be understood that as the two members are drawncloser together, the space between the two jaws 13 and 15 becomesnarrower, thus causing the strap to be gripped. In order to remove thesaddle from the horse or to loosen the girth, it is only necessary toplace one finger under the bar 9 of the second described member, and bya light pull on the said bar 9 the said second described member may loedrawn away from the first described member, thus releasing the grip onthe strap. The strap may then be pulled in the opposite direction fromthat which it is pulled when tightening the girth, and after the strapis made sufficiently loose the girth ring 4: may be removed from thehook 3 allowing the saddle to be removed from the horse, the cinch gripbeing always left .in position on the strap 17 Inasmuch as the end ofthe strap is permanently connected with the tubular cross bar 5 and thisbar forms a part of that member of the grip including the side bars 1,the cross bar 10 will be permitted to have free pivotal movement withinthe tubular cross bar 5 and, therefore, the drawing together of the twomembers of the grip will not be interfered with because of theconnection of the strap end directly with the grip. By reason of thefact that the side bars 1 are straight from end to end, the strainexerted upon the grip will be in a direct line with the rings 1 and 19and there will be no tendency for the grip to tilt or bulge at anypoint.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, it will he observed thatthe upper ends is claimed as new is:

1. In a grip of the class described, a member comprising spaced sidebars, a tubular cross bar connecting the side bars at their upper ends,the said side bars being provided at their lower ends with attachingmeans, and a member including spaced side bars, a cross bar connectingthe last mentioned side bars at their upper ends and rotatably fittingwithin the said tubular cross bar, the side bars of the second mentionedmember having their upper end portions curved in the direction of thefirst mentioned member, the members being provided with cooperatinggripping jaws, and a strap permanently connected at one end about thetubular cross bar and arranged to be engaged between the said jaws.

2'. In a grip of the class described, ame1 her comprising spaced sidebars, a tubular cross bar connecting the said bars at their upper ends,the said side bars being provided at their lower ends with attachingmeans, and a member including spaced side bars, a cross bar connectingthe last mentioned side bars at their upper ends and rotatably fittingwithin the said tubular cross bar, the side bars of the second mentionedmember having their upper end portions curved in the direction of thefirst mentioned member, the members being provided with cooperatinggripping jaws, a cross bar connecting the side bars of the firstmentioned member below the first mentioned cross bar, a cross barconnecting the side bars of the second mentioned member below its firstmentioned cross bar, the last mentioned cross bar being located abovethe third mentioned cross bar, and a strap connected permanently withthe said tubular cross bar and designed for engagement respectivelybeneath and against the third and last mentioned cross bars and to begripped by the said jaws.

In a grip of the class described, hingedly connected members, eachincluding spaced side bars, a cross bar extending between the side barsof one member, a cross bar extending between the side bars of the othermember, the last mentioned cross bar being laterally offset withrelation -to the first mentioned cross bar and also with relation to thehinged connection between the said members, and the said last mentionedcross bar being located nearer the hinged connection than the firstmentioned cross bar, a strap looped about the said cross bars andengaging the same and so arranged that when tensioned will exert lateralstress in an inward direction against the last mentioned cross bar andthereby serve to swing said members together, and clamping jaws carriedby the members and arranged to grip the said strap when the members areso swung.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa ture.

EDWIN A. GRUSHUS. [1 s.]

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. o.

